Physical Therapy GEO or Physical Therapy AI Search – ChatGPT Isn’t There…Yet

Why Physical Therapy Practices Should Pump the Brakes on AI Search Optimization

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how patients search for healthcare services, physical therapy practice owners are hearing more about “Physical Therapy Generative Engine Optimization” (GEO) and “Physical Therapy AI Optimization” (AIO). Digital marketing agencies are already pitching these services as the next frontier in search marketing. But before you allocate budget toward optimizing for AI-powered search engines, you need to understand the current reality of how these systems actually perform—especially for local healthcare searches.

Understanding Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Generative Engine Optimization represents a new approach to search optimization focused on AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s Bard. Unlike traditional SEO, which optimizes for keyword-based algorithms, GEO focuses on creating content that AI systems can easily understand, process, and cite when generating responses to user queries.

The theory behind GEO is sound: as more patients turn to AI chatbots for health information and provider recommendations, practices that optimize their content for these systems will gain a competitive advantage. AI systems tend to favor well-structured, authoritative content with clear context and comprehensive information—principles that align well with quality healthcare marketing.

However, the gap between GEO theory and practical application reveals significant limitations that physical therapy practices need to understand before investing in these strategies.

The Billings, Montana Experiment: A Case Study in AI Search Limitations

To test the current state of AI search capabilities, I conducted a simple experiment using ChatGPT with a search query that any potential patient might use: “pelvic floor physical therapy billings MT.” This represents a straightforward local search—a patient looking for specialized physical therapy services in Billings, Montana.

The results were revealing and concerning for anyone considering AI optimization as a primary marketing strategy.

Were Results Different for the Paid Version of ChatGPT?

The short answer is no.  ChatGPT delivered a similar result, so apparently, it created its answer from the same web search data and training data, irrespective of subscription level.

What ChatGPT Delivered vs. What Patients Actually Need

When presented with the search query “pelvic floor physical therapy billings MT,” ChatGPT made a critical error that demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of user intent. Instead of recognizing “Billings” as a city name (Billings, Montana), the AI system interpreted it as “billing”—as in medical billing and coding.

The results were completely off-target:

• Detailed CPT codes for pelvic floor physical therapy
• Montana Medicaid reimbursement information
• Insurance coverage guidelines
• Billing best practices for physical therapists
• Payment processing recommendations

While this information might be valuable for practice administrators, it’s entirely useless for a patient seeking local treatment options. The AI system provided extensive, well-formatted information about medical billing procedures when the user was actually looking for local healthcare providers.

The Google Comparison: Why Traditional Search Still Dominates

To highlight the stark difference, the same search query in Google produced exactly what a patient would expect and need:

• Local business listings: Actual physical therapy clinics in Billings, MT specializing in pelvic floor therapy
• Interactive map: Showing precise locations of relevant practices
• Contact information: Phone numbers, addresses, and hours of operation
• Patient reviews: Real feedback from previous patients
• Appointment booking: Direct links to schedule consultations
• Driving directions: Immediate access to navigation

Google correctly identified the user’s intent, understood the geographic context, and delivered actionable results that could immediately help a patient find and contact appropriate healthcare providers.

The Broader Implications for Physical Therapy Marketing

This experiment reveals several critical insights that should inform your digital marketing strategy:

1. This ChatGPT, AI Search Lacks Geographic Intelligence

Current AI systems struggle significantly with local search queries. Sometimes they can’t reliably distinguish between location names and similar terms, leading to completely irrelevant results. For physical therapy practices that depend heavily on local patient acquisition, this represents a fundamental limitation that makes AI optimization premature.

2. Context Understanding Remains Primitive

While AI systems excel at processing and regurgitating information, they lack the sophisticated context understanding that traditional search engines have developed over decades. Google’s algorithms can interpret user intent, understand geographic relevance, and deliver business-focused results—capabilities that AI chatbots have not yet mastered.

3. No Local Business Integration

AI systems currently lack integration with local business databases, review platforms, and mapping services. They cannot provide the real-time, location-specific information that patients need to make healthcare decisions. This makes them less suitable for the kind of local search optimization that drives physical therapy practice growth.

4. Inconsistent Performance Issues Across AI Platforms

Testing on Claude.ai revealed a different result.  Claude.ai did indeed present local listings, though they were not completely accurate. However, the general public is much less likely to use this platform for geographic search, as compared to claude.ai.

Gemini 2.5 Free Version Got It Right Too

Where Physical Therapy Practices Should Focus Their Marketing Investment

Given these limitations, practice owners should prioritize proven strategies that deliver measurable results:

Traditional Local SEO Remains King

Continue investing in Google Business Profile optimization, local keyword targeting, and geographic-specific content creation. These strategies directly impact how patients find your practice when they need care.

Review and Reputation Management

Focus on generating authentic patient reviews and managing your online reputation across platforms where patients actually search for healthcare providers.

Content Marketing for Education

Create comprehensive, patient-focused content that addresses common questions and concerns. While this content may eventually benefit from AI optimization, it currently serves patients better through traditional search channels.

Technical SEO Fundamentals

Ensure your website performs well on mobile devices, loads quickly, and provides clear contact information and appointment scheduling options.

The Future of AI in Healthcare Search

This doesn’t mean AI optimization will never be valuable for physical therapy practices. As you can see above, Claude.ai and Gemini 2.5 free version, got it right. As ChatGPT evolves, it will  develop better geographic understanding and local business integration. However, the current state of AI search technology suggests that widespread adoption for local healthcare searches, for small practices with a limited budget, is still months away (2026, 2027? We will be keeping tabs on this).

Practice owners should monitor developments in AI search capabilities. However, we suggest avoiding FOMO, bright and shiny object advertising tactics, that would result in diverting significant resources from proven marketing strategies that currently drive patient acquisition.

Frequently Asked Questions About Physical Therapy AI Search

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for physical therapy practices?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a new approach to search optimization that focuses on AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s Bard. Unlike traditional SEO, GEO optimizes content for AI systems to understand, process, and cite when generating responses to user queries about physical therapy services.

Should physical therapy practices invest in AI search optimization right now?

Physical therapy practices should wait before investing heavily in AI search optimization. Current AI systems have significant limitations with local searches, often misinterpreting location names and failing to provide relevant local business information that patients need to find healthcare providers.

How do AI search engines perform for local physical therapy searches?

AI search engines currently perform poorly for local physical therapy searches. They struggle with geographic intelligence, cannot distinguish between location names and similar terms, and lack integration with local business databases, reviews, and mapping services that patients rely on.

What’s the difference between AI search results and Google search results for physical therapy?

Google search results provide local business listings, interactive maps, contact information, patient reviews, and appointment booking links. AI search results often misinterpret queries and provide irrelevant information like billing codes instead of actual healthcare provider listings.

What digital marketing strategies should physical therapy practices prioritize instead of AI optimization?

Physical therapy practices should focus on traditional local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, review management, patient-focused content marketing, and technical SEO fundamentals. These proven strategies currently drive more patient acquisition than AI optimization.

Why do some AI search engines fail to understand “physical therapy” searches?

AI search engines lack sophisticated context understanding and geographic intelligence. They often interpret words wrong like “Billings” (the city in Montana) as “billing” (medical billing), leading to completely irrelevant results about insurance codes rather than local healthcare providers.

Will AI search optimization become important for physical therapy practices in the future?

Yes, AI search optimization will likely become valuable as these systems develop better geographic understanding and local business integration. However, widespread adoption for local healthcare searches is still years away, making current investment premature.

How can physical therapy practices prepare for future AI search developments?

Physical therapy practices should monitor AI search developments while maintaining focus on proven local SEO strategies. Creating comprehensive, well-structured content that addresses patient questions will benefit both current search optimization and future AI systems.

What are the main limitations of current AI search technology for healthcare providers?

Current AI search technology lacks geographic intelligence, context understanding for local searches, integration with business databases, and cannot provide real-time location-specific information. These limitations make AI systems unsuitable for the local search optimization that drives physical therapy practice growth.

How should physical therapy practice owners evaluate new digital marketing technologies?

Physical therapy practice owners should balance innovation with proven results, understanding technology limitations to prevent costly mistakes. Professional guidance can help navigate decisions about emerging search technologies while maintaining effective current marketing strategies.

Making Informed Marketing Decisions

The healthcare marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and staying informed about emerging trends while maintaining focus on effective current strategies is crucial for practice growth. Understanding the limitations of new technologies prevents costly mistakes and ensures your marketing budget generates maximum return on investment.

AI optimization will undoubtedly play a role in the near future of healthcare marketing, but that future hasn’t arrived yet. For now, physical therapy practices should continue building strong foundations in traditional search optimization while keeping an eye on AI developments.

For practice owners who want to stay ahead of both current SEO best practices and emerging AI optimization trends, professional guidance can help navigate these complex decisions. Schedule a consultation to discuss how these evolving search technologies might impact your specific practice and market.

The key is balancing innovation with proven results—investing in strategies that drive patient acquisition today while preparing for the search technologies of tomorrow.